- Dr Richard Keller was medical director at Phillips Academy for 19 years
- Spent almost $3,000 on child porn over two years
- Some pornographic content was delivered to his office at the boarding school
- Faces 20 years in jail
PUBLISHED:15:14 EST, 13 September 2012| UPDATED:15:14 EST, 13 September 2012
A pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital was arrested today after police found almost 100 child pornography DVDs and more than 500 similar images at his home.
Dr Richard Keller, 56, of Andover, Massachusetts, ‘knowingly received films depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct’, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Keller was the medical director at Phillips Academy for almost 20 years before leaving in 2011.
Phillips Academy is a highly prestigious boarding school for students in grades nine to 12 and the oldest incorporated academy in the United States, established in 1778 by Samuel Phillips, Jr.
Andover has educated two American presidents, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.
Keller is also a pediatrics instructor at Harvard Medical School.
In a statement released this afternoon, federal prosecutors said Keller ‘purchased and ordered over 50 DVDs of child pornography online.
‘At this time, more than 500 photographs and between 60 – 100 DVDs have been recovered during an ongoing search of Dr Keller’s home today.’
The case began with an investigation of an oversea’s movie production company that offered films featuring naked young boys having food fights, wrestling, showering together and playing Twister.
When investigators accessed the company website and reviewed film previews and summaries, one of the videos was described as: ‘We bring you action-packed discs of ooey-gooey slippery goodness. This two set disc features (name) and his buddies going commando in a very unique way.
‘They’re sweet enough but that didn’t stop them from breaking out sugary cupcakes and giving you a whole new perspective on nudist food fighting.’
An investigation into the pediatric endocrinologist’s account showed that between January 2009 and July 2011, he ordered titles on 19 separate occasions, spending $2,695.
On five of the 19 occasions, the pornographic material was sent to Phillips Academy’s student health center, according to the arrest warrant.
Concerns: Keller was placed on immediate leave from Boston Children’s Hospital Boston pending an investigation
Famous boarding school: Keller worked at prestigious Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, for almost 20 years before he left last yearIt also states that 60 to 100 DVDs and 500 high-gloss images were seized from his bedroom.
If Keller is convicted of all charges, he faces up to 20 years in prison and will be placed on the sex offender’s register for life.
Children’s Hospital spokesman Rob Graham released this statement: ‘Providing safe and appropriate care in a safe and protective environment is the absolute paramount priority for Boston Children’s Hospital.
‘When the hospital learned of the allegations against Dr Richard Keller earlier today, he was immediately put on administrative leave pending results of the investigation by the US Attorney’s Office. We will cooperate fully with the US Attorney’s Office and all other involved regulatory and legal authorities.
‘No complaints or concerns have been expressed by any patients or family members about the care Dr Keller provided while he was at Children’s.’
Because Keller would have been in contact with countless minors through the nature of his work, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said: ‘Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274, and messages will be promptly returned.’